Covering Pain
by StarryEyed15
Summary: Summer is hiding a secret. Will someone see through her? ss fic
1. Prologue

Seth, Ryan, Summer and Marissa have been friends for four years. Ever since that crazy junior year at Harbor when Ryan moved to Newport, they have stayed together. Now that they were in their sophomore year at USC, their relationships had changed a little. While Ryan and Marissa managed to stay together as a couple, Seth and Summer decided to end their relationship after Seth came back from his "escape" to Tahiti. It was a mutual decision and they chose to remain friends. Although she may not have known it, Seth had changed Summer. She was softer and more forgiving- a good thing mostly. But it could also be bad...  
  



	2. Lies Can't Pretend

  
"Shit! Eric's picking me up in half an hour for dinner. I need to get ready!" Summer exclaimed, glancing at her watch. She was hanging out with Marissa, Ryan and Seth in the boys' dorm room, like they do every Friday afternoon. They had been watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off and she lost track of time. She quickly got up off the floor and slid her shoes on.  
  
"You're still going out with that douche bag?" Seth scoffed and raised his eyebrows at her. Marissa playfully slapped his head. Summer rolled her eyes and looked back at him.  
  
"Eric is _not_ a douche bag. _You're_ just jealous," she retorted with a smirk. He was taken aback by that comment and dropped his jaw in surprise.  
  
"I'm not jealous. How could you think that?" he said with an exaggerated tone. The truth was he _was_ a little jealous, not that he would ever admit it. He always felt a hint of jealousy whenever Summer went on a date. He never really worried about the relationship to advance beyond a few dates. Most of the guys she brought back were the typical preppy jocks who were overly cocky. But Eric was different. Summer and Jake had been dating for almost a month – way beyond Seth's comfort zone. Seth had to say that Eric was definitely more modest than the other guys were. But, there was something about him that was a little off, although Seth couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
"Whatever," Summer sighed, "See ya later, guys!" She hurried down the hall to her dorm room that she shared with Marissa. She flung the door open and grabbed her stuff for showering. She raced to the hall showering area. That's the one thing she hated about college. She couldn't stand having to share the bathroom and shower with tons of other people. Summer shuddered as she stood in the shower stand.  
  
After showering, Summer rushed back to the room to get dressed. She decided to wear the light pink dress she just bought from BCBG. Summer constantly tried to look great around Eric because he always complimented her on how she looked. She checked the time- 5:45. _He'll be here in fifteen minutes!_ Summer let out a groan in frustration. Eric hated when she was late. Even if she was only a minute late, he complained. Summer quickly applied her make-up and straightened her hair. She slipped into her kitten heels and clambered down the stairs. As she burst out the door, she checked the time. _6:02_, she read. Summer bit her lip nervously as she walked to Eric's car, waiting out front.  
  
"Hi Eric," she said sweetly as she got in the car, "I'm so-"  
  
"You're late," Eric interrupted, looking pissed off, "Why are you late?" Summer sighed anxiously.  
  
"I was watching a movie with some friends and I lost track of time. I told you we hang out every Friday afternoon. Besides, I'm not _that_ late. It's only three minutes past six." Eric glared at her with a stone expression and sighed.  
  
"Okay, you're right. But from now on, be here on time," Eric suddenly smiled, "You look gorgeous tonight, Sum." She smiled back at him and breathed a sigh of relief inside.  
  
Eric had taken Summer to the new Italian restaurant in L.A. They were engaged in light conversation when the tone suddenly became more serious. Eric looked into Summer's eyes and reached for her hand.

* * *

"Summer, I know that we have only been seeing each other for a month, but I have strong feelings for you," Eric started as Summer swallowed hard, afraid of what's to come, "I don't want you to think that I am taking this too fast, but I love you." Summer had a million thoughts racing through her head.  
  
"I love you too," she spit out, unaware of what she was saying. She instantly regretted it. Summer didn't really feel like she loved Eric, but she didn't want him to feel bad or embarrassed. She smiled at him, trying to hide what she was thinking. He smiled back, pleased with her response. The rest of the dinner was mostly silent except for a few "mmm"s and "this is good"s.  
  
During the whole car ride, Eric had a big smile on his face. Summer felt horrible and ashamed. As Eric pulled up to Summer's dorm building, he stopped her.  
  
"So, how about we go to a movie and have dinner tomorrow?" Eric asked her. Summer bit her lip. She was supposed to go to Long Beach for the day with Ryan, Marissa and Seth tomorrow.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. I'm going to Long Beach tomorrow with my friends," Summer responded. She gulped, not liking the way he reacted to her reply. His eyebrows furrowed and he grumbled.  
  
"You are always hanging out with them. Whenever I want to do something with you, you're with them." Eric sneered at her.  
  
"That's not true," Summer protested, "I hang out with you all the time. Besides, they're my best friends- I want to be with them too."  
  
"Are they more important than me now? I am your boyfriend! You are supposed to be with me!" he snapped. Summer gave him a look of confusion.  
  
"What are you talking about?," she cried, "am I _not_ supposed to hang out with my friends now? You are being ridicu-" Suddenly, Eric's hand rose and a loud smacking sound thundered as Summer's cheek started to burn.  
  
"Don't talk to me like that," he bellowed. Summer instinctively brought her hand to her cheek as she stared wide eyed at Eric, stunned by what just happened. He had hit her. Eric gasped and but his hand to his mouth.  
  
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking! I'm sorry, Sum! Please- I didn't mean to," he cried. Summer shook her head in shock. She backed up till she was flat against the car door.  
  
"Summer, I love you. Please forgive me." She flinched as Eric reached to embrace her. Summer breathed deeply as she let him hold her. She was too shocked to refuse. She closed her eyes and came back to reality.  
  
"I...I have to go now," she said as she reached for the door handle. She swallowed hard and got out of the car. As she walked towards the building, Eric called after her.  
  
"Summer, please! I'm sorry!" She ran up the stairs to her room. As she reached the door to her dorm, she cursed quietly, seeing the light was on. She didn't want Marissa to see her like this. She rubbed her cheek before opening he door. When she entered the room, Marissa looked up. Her eyes widened as she saw Summer's face.  
  
"Oh my god, Sum! What happened?" she asked. Summer bit her lip, thinking of a lie she could tell.  
  
"I, um, banged into the car door as I was getting out of the car," she said. She looked at Marissa, seeing if she bought it.  
  
"Ouch, that must of hurt." Summer sighed, relieved by her answer.  
  
"Um, I think I'm going to go to sleep now. I'm really tired," Summer said warily as she changed into a tee shirt and boxers. Marissa nodded and went back to reading her magazine. Summer got under the covers and faced the wall. She let out a weak "good night" as she closed her eyes. She silently cried to herself until she fell asleep.

* * *

**Well that's it for the 1st chapter! Hope you liked it! please review! was it too detailed? constructive criticism appreciated!**


	3. Author's Note

sorry i havent written in a while.i was at the beach for a week, then my family was visiting. i'm pretty far into the second chapter but right now i have major writer's block. i'll try to update as soon as i can! p.s: remeber to watch "the oc" specials on september 16 and september 23! -julianne  



	4. Second Chances

Sorry that it has been a while since i last updated! here it is though! oh yeah- sorry if i didnt get the college thing right. i just went for what i thought it was like. enjoy! and please review!

* * *

Summer woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. She had thought about the night before and came to the conclusion that what Eric did was an accident. After all, he _did_ feel horrible afterwards and apologized profusely. Summer got out of bed and grabbed her toothbrush and face wash. As she went to open the door, Marissa came barging in with a bouquet of red roses in he arms.

"Morning, Sum. Look what I found outside the door," Marissa greeted in a sing-songy voice. She waved the flowers in front of Summer's face. Summer's face lit up as she tossed her belongings onto her bed. She grabbed the bouquet and plopped down on Marissa's already-made bed.

"They're so pretty," she cooed, as she pulled at the card sticking out of the top. She read the message aloud,

"Summer- So sorry about last night. Please forgive me. Love, Eric." The flowers confirmed her thoughts even more. He wouldn't have sent them if he wasn't sorry. Marissa sat down next to her and rested her chin on Summer's shoulder.

"What happened last night?" Marissa asked curiously.

"Oh, we just got in a little fight," Summer replied, leaving out the part about Eric hitting her. She didn't want to worry her friend over a little accident.

Summer sighed as she got up to look for something to put the roses in. She found a tall glass and handed it to Marissa.

"Would you be a sweetheart and fill this up with water?" she asked sweetly. Marissa rolled her eyes as she turned around to head towards the bathrooms. Summer smiled and raised the flowers to her face to smell them. She sighed happily. Her day was just beginning and it was already great.

When Marissa returned with the glass of water, Summer carefully arranged the flowers and placed the makeshift vase on her desk. Happy with her arrangement, she returned to her regular morning routine and grabbed her toothbrush and face products. She practically skipped down the hall to the bathroom. As she washed her face, she thought about Eric and felt bad that she wasn't doing anything with him that day. She made a mental note to call his cell phone and thank him when she got back to her dorm room. After Summer finished in the bathroom, she passed Marissa as she was entering their room.

"Oh, Sum. I'm going over to check on the guys- well, Ryan. 'Kay?" Marissa said halfway down the hall. Summer nodded and rolled her eyes. _God, those two are inseparable. _Summer closed the door behind her and slipped the latest Britney Spears CD in her CD player. She always listened to music while she got ready. She cranked up the volume as she started to change into her bikini. Summer got lost in the music and sort of forgot that there were other people around.

* * *

Seth was getting sick of watching Ryan and Marissa in love and decided to go see how Summer was doing. When he got to her door, he heard music playing. Not thinking, he opened the door without knocking and walked in on Summer just as she was taking off her tee shirt. When they both saw each other, Summer screamed and covered her self with her shirt. Seth opened his mouth and quickly covered his eyes.

"What the fuck, Cohen?! Haven't you heard of knocking?!" Summer shrieked as she turned around to put her shirt back on.

"I did not see that. I did not see that," Seth repeated. Summer rolled her eyes as she turned off the music and walked over to him.

"You can open your eyes now," she said, annoyed, as she placed her hands on her hips. Seth slowly dropped his hands from his eyes and saw a beet-red Summer staring at him angrily.

"I'm sorry?" Seth said with a sheepish grin. He blushed as he looked down at his shoes. _Well,_**this **_is embarrassing. _

"You better be," Summer replied, "Just don't tell anyone- in fact, forget it even happened, 'kay?" Seth nodded and bit his lip, not sure what to do next. Summer sighed and gestured to the door behind him.

"Okay, um, Cohen? Can you please leave so I can finish changing?" Summer asked impatiently. Seth raised his eyebrows in realization and pointed to the door as he turned around.

"Yeah, uh, bye," he mumbled as he left the room, still pink from embarrassment. Summer put her back to the door and slid down it until she was sitting. She softly laughed to herself, relieved from the awkward situation between her and Seth. _He looked so pitiful when he blushed, it was sorta cute. Not that that means she has feelings for him._ _Just because you think a guy is cute, it doesn't mean you are attracted to him. _Summer stopped her rambling thoughts. Why did she feel she needed to explain herself to...herself? She sighed and put her thoughts behind her as she got up to finish changing.

Seth had waited outside Summer's room, thinking of ways to make it not as uncomfortable between the two of them for the rest of the day. Suddenly, he heard a muffled laugh coming from the other side of her door. _She's laughing? I guess that's a good sign._ Seth smiled, not because he thought it was funny, but because he liked to hear Summer laugh.

When the door opened, Seth jumped up and accidentally ran into Summer. She stepped back to rub her forehead. Seth closed his eyes tightly and cringed at his clumsiness.

"Ooh, sorry Sum. Well, we're off to a great start today," he joked sarcastically. He could feel the sweat building on his neck. For some reason, Summer was still the only girl that could make Seth nervous. She smiled back at him, quizzically.

"Yeah, I guess so." It was then, when Seth was looking at Summer, that he noticed the small red mark on her cheek. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at it.

"Hey, what's that from?" he asked as his fingers lightly brushed her cheeks. She became tense from his touch and quickly covered the mark with her hand.

"Oh, nothing. I...um..." Summer stalled, trying to remember what she had told Marissa, "...bumped into the car door last night. Really, its nothing." Seth cocked his eyebrow in doubt. But, he let it go and just nodded his head in understanding. He smiled at her and they just stared at each other for a moment.

"So...um..." Seth broke the silence and looked away, "We should probably get the two lovebirds now." Summer rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Who _talks_ like that?" she teased as they walked down the hall to his dorm room.

* * *

"Guess what?" Marissa said cheerfully as the four friends piled into the boys' Range Rover. Ryan was driving, so Marissa was obviously going to sit next to him, leaving Seth and Summer in the back. Before anyone could answer, Marissa continued.

"Sum got flowers from Eric this morning," she announced. Summer rolled her eyes as Seth looked over at her.

"Oh, you did, did you?" he said, raising his eyebrows. Summer sighed loudly and looked out the window.

"Yeah, she did. They got in a fight or something last night," Marissa answered. That grabbed Seth's attention and he snapped his head around to look at Summer. As rude as it sounds, Seth was kind of happy that they had fought because it might mean that Summer and Eric's relationship wouldn't last too long. A little wishful thinking couldn't hurt, right?

"Okay, lets broadcast it to the whole world, Coop!" Summer whined, giving Marissa an irritated look. _God, Coop could be annoying. _Marissa rolled her eyes and turned back around to face the front.

"A fight? What happened?" Seth prodded. Summer shot him a don't-go-there look.

"It is _none_ of your business," she said sternly. She looked away and let out a cry of frustration. Seth put his hands out in defeat.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I was just wondering," he apologized. He looked over wide-eyed at Ryan and Marissa as they shrugged. He sighed and took another look at Summer before grabbing his iPod out of his bag. For the rest of the ride, he listened to music and thought about what could have happened last night that Eric would send flowers and Summer would get so upset about.

* * *

By the time they got to Long Beach, the tension between Summer and the others had lifted and Seth had stopped worrying about Summer and Eric's fight. They got their things and headed straight for the less crowded area of the beach. Once they found a spot, the girls laid out to tan and the boys decided to cool off in the water.

"What's the deal, Seth?" Ryan asked, noticing that Seth kept looking at Summer. Seth turned his head towards him and gave him a confused look.

"What?"

"Oh, come on," Ryan said, "You've been staring at Summer the whole day! What's up?" Seth shook his head and looked back at her.

"I don't know. Something's just wrong," Seth said, running his fingers through his thick black curls, "I mean, she was so touchy about that fight with Eric...and he gave her flowers! It just seems like he would only give her flowers if it was something really bad." Ryan shrugged and scratched his head.

"Well, maybe she really likes him and doesn't like the fact that they fought. And the flowers could mean that he is just a nice guy. Look man, don't worry about it. It's probably nothing." Seth sighed and nodded his head.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Seth agreed. He sighed and dunked his head in the water, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind. Seth noticed Ryan smiling and looked towards the beach to see Marissa approaching them. _Oh, great. Let the make out session begin._

"Hey, I'm gonna go lay out for a little. 'Kay?" Seth said to Ryan. Ryan nodded as Seth headed for their towels. When he got there, he reached for his bag and pulled out the latest ? comic book. Seth laid his towel out next to Summer, who was laying out face up, and started to read. Before he could finish the first page, Summer nudged his shoulder.

"Could you put some of this on my back?" she asked, handing Seth a bottle of SPF15 sunscreen. He grabbed the bottle as she flipped on to her stomach. She shivered as soon as his hand made contact with her skin. He smiled, realizing his effect on her.

"You cold?" he teased, rubbing the lotion in. She cringed behind her sunglasses, embarrassed that he noticed.

"No," she mumbled. He rolled his eyes and stepped back when all the lotion was rubbed in.

"There," he said, wiping his sticky hands on his swimming trunks. She let out a quiet "thanks" and turned her head away from him. Seth sighed and got back to his comic book.

Suddenly, they both heard a shriek coming from the ocean. Summer quickly sat up as Seth put his book down and looked towards the water. The "shriek" was Marissa, who was being dunked playfully by Ryan. Summer sighed loudly. _They looked so cute and happy together. _

"I wish Eric was like that," she whispered to herself. Seth looked over at her, saddened by her comment. **He **_would be like that, _Seth thought, _he would do anything to make her happy._ Seth was so tempted to just tell her how he felt, but decided against it. _I mean, what would she say to that_? Instead, he opted to invite Summer to join them.

"Hey, um, shall we join in on the fun?" Seth asked her. She gave him a weird face as she looked back at their friends.

"Um, I don't think we can..." she replied as she gestured towards Ryan and Marissa. Seth looked at them and turned pink, realizing that they were now passionately making out. He swallowed hard and cleared his voice.

"Well, we technically could..." he started and noticed her bewildered face, "but we shouldn't because that's morally wrong...because you're dating Eric... and I should probably stop talking now."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea Cohen," she said, rolling her eyes. He looked down at his hands, embarrassed. _He sure knew how to make things awkward. Why does he always mess up?_ He mentally kicked himself for sounding so stupid.

Summer just shook her head and gave a slight smile. She missed that nervous babbling. She glanced over at Seth, who was already buried in his comic book, and laid her head back down on her towel.

* * *

After having lunch and a long ride back, the four friends finally returned to the campus. When they were walking from the parking lot towards their building, Summer spotted Eric's black Porsche parked in front of the building. _Oh shit, _she thought, panicking, _I forgot to thank him for the flowers!_ She bit her lip and looked over at her friends.

"Hey guys? I'll be up in a little bit- I'm going to go talk to Eric," she said glancing over at his car. They nodded as she veered off to the right where Eric was waiting. As she approached the car, Summer tried to peer in to the tinted window to see Eric's expression. She sighed as she opened the door and slid into the seat, quietly shutting the door. Summer put on her "happy" face before looking at Eric. Before she could even open her mouth, he began speaking.

"What a girlfriend I have," he said sarcastically, "You're so conceited that you can't even thank me for giving you flowers?" He stared at her hardly as she furrowed her eyebrows, confused by what she just heard.

"What?" Summer responded meekly, "I thought it would be nicer to thank you in person." He shook his head in disgust.

"Bullshit, Summer! You are so fucking self-centered!" he yelled, shoving her hard against the car door. She stared at him wide-eyed as he looked away angrily. Summer rubbed her right arm, which had smashed into the hard plastic and leather that made up the side paneling. She watched him as his nostrils flared, something she used to find cute. He snapped his head towards her, narrowing his eyes in anger.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" he questioned. She shook her head and looked away as he punched her thigh. She winced in pain and tried not to cry. He grunted and started the car. She looked at the steering wheel in terror, making sure not to look at him. _Where is he taking me?! Oh my god! I need to get out._ She discreetly slid her hand to the door handle and jiggled it. Eric quickly glanced over at her and rolled his eyes.

"What are you _doing_?" he said, adding a little laugh, "Geez, we're just going to In'n'Out." He pulled up to the drive-thru window and ordered two burgers and two cokes. He paid and parked in the barren corner spot of the parking lot. Summer glanced at him as he handed her a burger.

"It's alright. I won't bite," Eric teased. She looked at him quizzically. He was acting like nothing ever happened. Summer was confused, but she decided to forget about what just happened and remember that he loved her. She took the burger and slowly unwrapped it.

When Eric dropped her off in front of her dorm building, he kissed her on the cheek before Summer stepped out of the car. As she approached the front door, Summer let out a loud sigh. _This day has been so crazy._ She made her way up the stairs to the 2nd floor where she lived. As she walked down the hall, Summer could hear laughing coming from Ryan and Seth's room. _Better tell them I'm back. _Before entering the room, Summer made sure her shirt was covering the faint blue-black mark appearing on her right arm.

"Hey," Summer greeted as her friends looked up at her from their seats on the futon. She put on a fake smile and stood against the wall.

"Hey, Sum. What took you so long?" Marissa asked. It had been two hours since they got back from the beach. Summer bit her lip as she remembered the incident.

"Uh, we just went to get something to eat and hang out," she said, glossing over the details. She looked at her watch as a distraction, watching the second hand tick by slowly. Summer suddenly looked up from her watch, coming back to reality. She noticed them staring at her and gave them a small smile.

"I think I'm going to go lay down for a bit," Summer said, reaching for the doorknob as they nodded. She opened the door and walked out of the room, but not before meeting eyes with Seth, who was giving her a worried look.

As she trudged down the hall, Summer wondered if Seth knew something. _No, he couldn't know. Besides, it only happened twice. And Eric is so nice other than that. _Summer entered her dorm room and flopped down on her bed. She lay there, staring at the ceiling, convincing herself that Eric was in love with her.

* * *

thats it for the 2nd chapter! please review! oh yeah- i know that ryan would never give advice like that. but i didnt want marissa to give seth the advice


	5. A New Way of Living

Ok, so finally I finished the next chapter! sorry that it took like a year! Oh yeah, before I get sued or something, this story is loosely based on Sarah Dessen's book Dreamland. Go read it b/c its really good! Please review my story!

* * *

"Hey, Sum. Wake up," Marissa lightly shook Summer, who was curled up in her bed, asleep, "It's 11:30 in the morning!" Summer stirred and rubbed her eyes. She blinked at the glare of the sun shining through the window before looking up at her best friend.

"Wait, what?" she said, sitting up to look at her clock, "Oh shit, not again!" Summer groaned and pushed the covers off of her. She looked at Marissa, who was giving her a worried look.

"Yep, _again_. Summer- this is the fourth time you've missed class in the past two weeks!" Marissa exclaimed, resting her hands on her friend's, "What's going on?" Summer swallowed hard- no, she _couldn't_ tell her.

It had been three weeks since their trip to Long Beach and three weeks since Eric's regular routine of hitting Summer had started. It was like any time they were together was just a chance for him to abuse her. So why did she stay with him? Summer cherished the times when he embraced her, that feeling of being loved was all she wanted. If Marissa had it, why couldn't she? If anyone knew about it, they would see how weak Summer was. She knew that other people wouldn't understand why she stayed with him, so she hid the bruises and never told anyone.

"Nothing," Summer replied, "I'm just a little overwhelmed with the work right now. That's all." She tugged at her sweatshirt, making sure the sleeves went past her fingertips. Marissa stared at her best friend skeptically, but decided not to say anything. She didn't want to upset Summer.

"Well, if you need any help, you know you can always ask me," Marissa reassured her with a smile. Summer returned the smile and nodded in acknowledgment. _If she only knew the help I needed._

"So, I guess I better go get ready. I've got to meet Eric at 12:30," Summer said and climbed out of bed, "He's pic-"

"-king you up for lunch. Yeah, I know. You do it _everyday_," Marissa sighed, shaking her head, "Ya know, we miss you. You never do anything with us anymore." Summer wanted to scream at Marissa. _Well, duh! I'm sorta trying _**not** _to get beat up! _But of course, she stopped herself, remembering that Marissa didn't know what was going on.

"That's not true," Summer retorts and then sighs, "but whatever." She rolled her eyes as she walked out of the room, leaving Marissa confused. Summer didn't know why she was acting like a bitch to her friends lately, snapping at them for the littlest things.

As Summer got ready, she went over the past few weeks in her head. Eric's abuse made her numb. She lost interest in the things she used to enjoy and didn't care about her appearance. Summer never wore make-up and never tried to dress cute. Her daily outfit consisted of jeans or sweatpants with sweatshirts or long-sleeved shirts. This was partly to hide the many bruises on her arms and legs. For some reason, Summer always felt exhausted and rarely had the energy to go out. She had noticed the change in her behavior, but for some reason she didn't do anything about it.

Summer trudged down the stairs to go meet Eric outside. As she went out the door, she passed Seth.

"Hey," Seth said, placing his hand on her shoulder, "Marissa said you weren't in class today. What's the matter?" Summer quickly brushed his hand off, seeing Eric's Porsche pulled up in front of the building. She knew he was watching her through those tinted windows.

"Nothing's the matter. I'm…I'm fine," she replied as she hurried towards the car. She carefully got in the car, making sure she didn't look at Eric's stern face. Before she could even put on her seatbelt, he started questioning at her.

"What were you doing with him?" he asked accusingly. Summer could feel the sweat build up on the back of her neck.

"Nothing," Summer said quietly, almost whispering her answer. Eric gave her a piercing stare.

"You're lying," he said through clenched teeth, "Don't lie to me."

"I swear I'm not lying," she replied quickly, holding her hands up in front of her. Her skin went numb even before Eric hit her. "He just asked me a question and-"

"I said don't lie to me!" he yelled, his fist colliding with her thigh, pushing Summer into the car door. She could almost feel the bruise forming.

"Eric, please!" Summer pleaded, shutting her eyes tight as she turned her head away from him. He let out a frustrated grunt through his clenched jaws as he roughly shoved Summer's arm. Then, the car went silent as Eric put the car into drive. As he drove, Summer tried to numb the pain that was pulsing through her body.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled into the Olive Garden parking lot. As they made their way to the door, Eric grabbed Summer's hand. Summer was used to his weird behavior after hitting her. He always tried to be nice and act like nothing happened although she could tell that he was still upset. There was little conversation during their dinner, not that their relationship really consisted of much communication. Summer was afraid to tell Eric things because she was afraid he might react badly. Anything she could say or do might set him off.

After their meal, Eric drove Summer back to the dorms. Before she could get out of the car, he reached over to kiss her. As their kiss deepened, Eric's hands roamed her body and gently landed on Summer's back. Summer never understood how someone so violent could all of a sudden be so gentle. Whenever they made out, Summer didn't do much. She let Eric kiss her, but she never really kissed back. She was too confused to react. After twenty minutes, Eric moved away and sat up in his seat.

"I'm going away this weekend," he announced, " to visit my parents." This was new. Since they had been together, Eric had never left Summer's side, let alone the campus.

"Oh," Summer responded, surprised by the news, "Am I going with you to meet them?" Eric gave her a demeaning look.

"Don't flatter yourself," he said, "Besides you'll be too busy fucking your friend." Summer looked at him wide-eyed. _Was he talking about Seth?_ _Oh god, he hasn't forgotten. _Summer's mouth went dry and she didn't know what to say. She opened the car door and stepped out.

"Bye," she said softly, "Have fun with your parents." As she walked to her room, Summer wondered what she was going to do. Her life was so revolved around Eric that she couldn't remember how she managed without him. This was going to be an interesting weekend.

* * *

So I hoped you like it! Stay tuned to find out what happens over the weekend. And I promise that this is a Seth/Summer story! 


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